Black Steel, Broken World
by Karasu Tenka
Summary: The war with Zeref has ended. However, the Dark Wizard's final curse has left the world withered and humanity as little more than scavengers. Through the wastelands wanders a lone Dragonslayer, searching for a reason to continue living.
1. Chapter 1

The wind howled across the open sands, picking some up into swirling eddies of dust. A lone figure pulled it's hooded cloak tighter around it's neck as it carefully picked it's way across the dunes. At the top of one particularly tall dune, the figure paused, looking out across the vista before it, it's gaze eventually was drawn down to the small settlement several miles ahead. Reaching down to it's belt beneath the cloak, the figure pulled forth a canteen and raised it to it's lips to drink.

"Tsk." A gruff voice sounded forth from beneath the hood, turning the canteen upside down, "Lucky the settlement's where that little shit said it'd be... I'm totally out." The hooded man turned to begin making his way down the dune towards the small cluster of ramshackle buildings.

The settlement was small. Little more than a waypoint in the desert, built around the single working water pump that worked tirelessly to dredge up liquid life from whatever had been here before the end of the world. There were a few homes, but the newcomer made his way directly towards the largest building in town, the tavern attached to the Water Pump.

Pushing the door open, the figure made his way to the bar, ignoring the silence and stares that his arrival prompted from the other patrons. "Barkeep, give me some of the good stuff," He said, setting his empty canteen and a handful of Jewels on the bar, "It's been a bitch of a hike from the last settlement to here."

The bartender looked the newcomer up and down, before shrugging, taking the money and filling both a glass and the canteen with fresh, clear water. "You're an uncommon sight 'round here these days stranger." He said conversationally, "Not too many people come through here anymore. Not since the big towns got their pumps connected to the old rivers and irrigation systems."

"Yeah, I don't do too well around big towns these days." The stranger capped off the canteen and replaced it at his hip before taking a grateful gulp from the glass. "Besides, I'm looking for something."

"Oh?" The bartender's eyes flicked up to look out across the rest of the room, "Some kind of treasure hunter are you? Lookin' for old secrets from back before the kingdom fell and the world went to hell?"

A small chuckle escaped the hooded man, "Heh. Guess you could say that." He reached into a pouch at his hip and produced a strange crystal, almost the length of his palm, it was pointed at each end and it's middle seemed to almost form a faceted cone. "I'm lookin' for something like this." He said, holding the crystal up, "But bigger."

The bartender seemed almost hypnotized by the sight of the gem, "How much bigger?"

"A lot. least five feet in length, maybe more. It'd be blue, probably glows in the dark too." The hooded man turned to face the rest of the tavern, "Anyone? I'm willing to pay for the info of course."

"The hell you need some rock that size for eh?" One of the patrons spoke up, he was an ugly man, one could almost liken him to a lizard. "What good's it to a single man all alone out in the wastes eh?"

The hood turned, and the lizard-looking man froze as he felt the eyes beneath it lock onto him. "I don't think that's really any of your fucking business. I'm just looking for it."

A shadow fell over the hooded man, "Well it becomes our business if you're lookin' for it in our territory." A massive, giant of a man towered over the stranger, cracking his knuckles, "So why don't you just save us all some hassle and tell my friend what he want's to know."

The glint of white teeth could be seen from beneath the hood as it's owner grinned up at the massive man, "Ho? Big guy aintcha?" He chuckled again, pushing himself off the bar and grabbing his water. "Look, I'm just asking. If none of you knows anything, then what's the big deal?" As he went to take another drink, a fist larger than his head flashed down, knocking the glass out of his hand to shatter on the floor. The room went deathly silent and still, "Now look what you did..." His voice grew darker, "Wasting water like that... Someone really oughtta teach you some fucking manners lard-ass."

The giant man roared, bringing both his fists down in a hammering blow aimed at the stranger's head. However, the hooded man stepped forward under his reach, there was a flash of green light, and the giant man was sent flying. He crashed heavily into the far wall, denting it at the point of impact.

"Did you see that?" One of the patrons watching the confrontation asked his neighbor. "He just took down Ricky!"

"Never mind that," Said another one, "That flash, he's a mage!"

Instantly the atmosphere within the tavern changed. The patrons all glared daggers at the stranger, a couple of them already had knives pulled. "Shit..." The hooded traveler turned back to the bartender, "Sorry about this. This dust-bowl have a doctor?" At the wide-eyed man's nod, the stranger turned back to the mob of bloodthirsty locals, "Then you'd better call him. Alright assholes, you want my blood? Let's take this outside."

He made his way to the door, almost casually, the crowd all slowly shifting to follow him. As soon as the door closed, the bartender ran to the back door and bolted from the building, hurrying towards the local doctor's home, the sounds of a terrible brawl followed him the whole way.

* * *

Three minutes later, the street was silent as the bartender and the doctor hurried towards the site of the battle. What awaited them caused both men to stop dead in stunned shock. The traveler sat almost lounging atop the piled bodies of his attackers, taking a deep drink from a glass of water that he had apparently retrieved from back inside. Seeing the bartender's return, he stepped down to the dusty street, stooping to pick up a fallen knife from the ground and using it to clean his teeth. "Sorry 'bout the mess doc. None of'em are dead, I made sure to pull my punches."

To his credit, the doctor managed to recover his composure remarkably well. "O-of course..." He looked between the stranger and the pile of locals a few times before shaking his head, "It's been a long time since I saw a mage fight," He chuckled tiredly, "I'd almost forgotten how incredible you people could be."

The traveler smiled from beneath his hood. "It's refreshing to meet someone who remember's us fondly. Most people these days just blame us for the state the world's in and call it good. Or they try to kill us, that happens too."

The doctor smiled lightly, making his way towards the pile of unconscious bodies and began pulling it apart and lying the men out on the street. "No... The only one responsible for the state of world has already received his final punishment. We just live in the midst of his final curse."

"Yeah..." The traveler's figure seemed to slump as thought the air had been knocked out of him. "Yeah, he did get his..." His voice sounded pained as he spoke.

"I was there you know," That caused the traveler's head to snap up. "I saw that final battle between Fairy Tail, Acnologia, and Zeref. Never seen anything like it before... Hell, probably won't see anything like it ever again." He turned to the stranger with a smile and a small wink, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

The stranger bowed slightly, "Thanks." He said, "By the way doc, maybe you can help me..." Once again he produced the hand sized crystal, "I'm looking for something like this, only much bigger."

Pausing in his work, the doctor took the crystal in his hand and looked it over. "Hmm... maybe. A man I patched up a few weeks back was talking about some big treasure find that they made in Stillswell. It's about five, maybe six day's journey west and south of here." He handed the crystal back and went back to work. "May be nothing, may be something completely different. But it's the best that I can come up with."

The traveler nodded, stowing the crystal once more. "Thanks old man. It helps a lot."

"Hey, I ain't that old yet you little punk."

"Right." The two shared a chuckle, before the traveler turned to make his way back into the bar, "You've still helped out in a big way." He said over his shoulder before closing the door behind him. Once inside, he looked around finding himself alone inside with the bartender who scowled at him slightly. "Sorry about beating the shit out of your clientele, but now you know why I don't do too well with big towns."

The bartender snorted, cleaning out a glass and setting it on the bar, "So what do you need now? And it'd better be damn good to make up for my lost profit from that lot."

"Six or seven days worth of water and food?" The traveler walked up to the bar and set several more Jewels down, "And a map of the area between here and Stillswell if you can."

The bartender looked at him for a few moments as though trying to decide if the man was worth it. Finally, he sighed and pulled out several canteens and a sack. Motioning for the stranger to wait, he walked into the back and filled the sack with provisions for the journey. "I admit, I'm surprised you're such a respectful man." He said as he returned, taking out a small map from behind the bar and folding it up. "I expected a mage to be a lot more... rebellious. Or maybe bitter at the whole world for being blamed for the state of it."

"Yeah... well... it's been a long five years. I've been around, seen a lot. And I'm not really a hundred percent sure that people shouldn't blame me." That caught the bartender's attention, however the traveler just set an extra handful of Jewels on the bar, grabbed the sack, loaded the canteens into it and made his way out of the building without another word.

The bartender hurried outside in time to see the stranger sharing a final word of thanks with the doctor before turning and making his way out of town. Watching the figure dwindling in the distance, he walked over to the doctor, who was busily working on several of the local thugs. "Who was that man doctor? Did you know him?"

"Hmm?" The doctor looked up from his work, "Well, I saw him a few times back before the world went to shit. Never actually met him, but I read about him in the newspapers. Him and his guild." There was an odd nostalgic smile on his face as he spoke. "But that was a long time ago, he looks like he'd rather not be reminded of any of that anymore. Besides, I promised him I wouldn't say too much."

* * *

Outside of town, the traveler slowly climbed one of the tall sand dunes. Pausing at the top, he turned and looked back down at the small nameless settlement, "Heh... dammit." He said, reaching up to wipe away the tears that had begun to well beneath his eyes, "Nearly went the whole day without remembering you all... Natsu... Grey... Erza... Everyone..."

Turning back to the vast expanse of desert, he reached down, pulling out one of the daggers he'd taken from the mob back in the settlement. As he walked down the far side of the dune, he casually snapped it in half with his teeth, crunching up the metal blade in his mouth before swallowing with a disgusted sigh. "Shit the metal these days tastes horrible. You would probably laugh at me for saying that Natsu, but it's true. And I'd bet you that the fire tastes just as shitty. And little Wendy... You'd think that the air tasted bad too, wouldn't you? Grey, you'd hate it here. Too much sun for your stupid stripper attitude, you'd burn to a fucking crisp within a day. And there's probably not enough moisture in the air to make any of your precious ice anyway... FUCK!"

He suddenly let loose a howl of pain and sorrow, along with a heavy burst of magical power, causing a massive cloud of dust and sand to explode around him. Within the cloud, he clenched his fist tightly before slamming it as hard as he could into his own cheek. "I can't keep thinking about all of you!" He screamed into the empty air around him, seeing mirage-like images of his long gone friends in the swirling sand. "I _CAN'T!_ It's too painful..." He collapsed to his knees clawing at his arms, tears falling freely from his eyes. "Why First?... Why me? _WHY DID YOU SAVE ME AND NOT THEM?!_ " His pained shriek echoed across the empty expanse, offering no answer.

"No... of course you won't tell me why..." He slowly rose back to his feet, wiping away his tears. "You're dead. Just like the others... And all you left me for a clue is this..." Pulling out the small crystal, he looked at it with disgust. "You left me basically a miniaturized version of your old stasis crystal. And that's it. Dammit Mavis... Erza would have known what to do with this thing better than I do..."

Finally, after several minutes, he stowed the crystal back in it's pouch and began walking once more. "Oh well... I finally have a fucking lead. Maybe." He pulled up his canteen, taking a small sip to replenish the lost water. "If Stillswell doesn't pan out... I think I'm gonna head to the biggest town that I can find, and put that hatred of mages most people have these days to good use. Then I can be with everyone again... Then I can be with her..."

As he walked, the winds swirled around him, almost as though they were ushering him onward. And the sands of the ruins of Fiore continued their eternal mockery of the beautiful lands that they had once been.

* * *

 **Part one of a little side project that popped into my head a little while ago. Not entirely sure how far this one will go yet, but however far, it will certainly be an interesting ride.**


	2. Chapter 2

The fire crackled low as the night winds howled overhead. Within the ruined shell of what had once been a house before the desert sands had claimed it,Gajeel Redfox sat, back to a wall, gazing into the flickering patterns of the flames.

It had been two days since he'd left the little water-post to try to find the settlement of Stillswell, and in those two days, he had managed to ignore his memories almost completely. He had to admit, he was rather impressed with himself. Now however, his mind dragged itself back to thoughts of brighter days. Days that at the time, he had truly thought would last forever.

He remembered the endless fights between Natsu and Grey, drinking contests with Cana (which he almost always lost), arguments, laughter, and endless entertainment. And most of all, he remembered her. She had been such a small thing to him when they had first met, back when he was a member of Phantom Lord. He remembered, with guilt as sharp as a sword, what he had done to her that night, and the guilt that he had felt seeing her every day after the Old Man had brought him into Fairy Tail. Then against every odd, they had eventually become friends. He smiled as the image of her bright smile beneath her blue hair flickered through his memory, feeling tears stream down his cheek as he did.

 _Someday Levi..._ He thought quietly. _Someday, I'll see you again. Once I've finished whatever it is that Mavis wanted me to do, I'll come join you all._ Again, he pulled out the crystal that Mavis had left him, gazing into it's blue depths. "Tch. Of course, given that it's Mavis we're talking about, I may never figure out what she wanted me to do." He chuckled darkly at the irony. Finally, he stowed the crystal and slumped down to try and get some sleep.

As he drifted off, a final thought passed through his mind. _I'm sorry Levi..._

* * *

 _Fire rained from the ski as two titans clashed in the distance in the ruins of what had once been Magnolia Town. Gajeel snarled silently, struggling to maintain his footing, "Dammit! We can't get close to these bastards." He said as another blast of magic from the battlers shook the ground beneathe him._

 _"We don't have a choice." Erza Scarlette said to his right, her strongest armor requipped, and seeming utterly useless against the maelstrom laid out before them all. "We have to kill Zeref, Acnologia showing up just makes it more difficult."_

 _"Difficult!?" He snapped back, "Try fucking impossible! Remember the last time we tried actually fighting that son of a bitch? He kicked our collective asses so hard that we lost seven fucking_ _ **years**_ _!"_

 _"What's the matter Gajeel? You finally getting cold feet?" Natsu grinned despite the situation. "This just makes the fight that much more worthwhile!"_

 _"I'm with Gajeel on this one." Said Grey from where he stood shirtless, shielding Juvia from the derbies. "Let's just let those two kill each other and focus on getting everyone else out of here."_

 _"Look around you Grey!" Erza shouted, "If these two keep going like this, there won't be anywhere that we can run! This battle's going to tear the entire world apart, and we are the only ones who can stop it."_

 _Gajeel was silent for a few moments, watching the King of Dragons unleash a blast of darkness at his immortal opponent once more. "Fuck." He finally swore, "Erza's right. Wendy!" He turned to the youngest of the Dragon Slayers, "You get everyone the hell out of here, you hear me?"_

 _"No!" She said immediately, "I'm a Dragon Slayer too. I'm staying to finish this."_

 _"Listen Wendy," He knelt down in front of her, "If we can't do this, the other's are gonna need a Dragon Slayer to keep them safe ok? And I somehow doubt that Laxus is gonna sit this one out."_

 _"Bet your ass I won't." The Blonde haired man snorted from where he stood._

 _"You're the best one to keep everyone else safe while the rest of us attack." Wendy's gaze faltered at that, Gajeel meanwhile smiled lightly, "Think about it kid. Me or Natsu actually defending something while there's a fight like this? Doesn't seem natural does it?" He set his large hand on her shoulder, "Please Wendy... I want at least some of us to survive this cluster fuck."_

 _The girl struggled with the request, it was obvious on her face. Finally however she nodded, "Alright. Just promise me that you all will come back safe."_

 _The others smiled grimly, Gajeel held up his closed hand, pinky extended. "You got it kid." She curled her own pinky around his before pulling him into a tight hug. "Hey..." He said softly, "You'll see us again." He lowered his mouth to her ear then and whispered, "Please... Keep Levi safe. I'm counting on you kid."_

 _She broke the hug, nodding slightly. "I will." Her expression was fierce, "No matter what, I'll fight to my last breath to keep them all safe."_

 _Pushing himself up, Gajeel ruffled her hair affectionately. "Thanks kid." Turning back to the others, he grinned, "So then... Shall we go slay ourselves a couple immortals?"_

 _Erza, Natsu, Grey, Juvia, and Laxus all nodded, each of them smiling grimly. "Since when were you such a leader Gajeel?" Laxus chuckled lightly, "Isn't that supposed to be me and Erza?"_

 _"Tch, in your dreams Sparky."_

 _The others chuckled, "It's time," Erza said, "We have to strike fast and hard. Gajeel, Laxus, Grey, and Juvia, you focus on Acnologia. Natsu,and I will hold off Zeref as long as we can."_

 _The six Fariy Tail members each nodded once before lunging forward. As he ran, Gajeel's gaze flickered back, catching sight of retreating blue hair in the distance. "Stay safe." He whispered silently._

* * *

Gajeel awoke with a roaring start, his hand shifting into the Iron Dragon's Sword as he leaped up. Looking around frantically, his heart pounded with adrenaline as he slowly remembered where he was.

"A dream...?" He slumped back down, his hand returning to normal. "Shit... Haven't thought about that day in almost two years..." His heart thudded as he recalled the memory. "Tch. Fuck."

Realizing that he wouldn't get any more sleep that night, he gathered up his meager possessions, got his bearings, and began the trek to Stillswell once again. As he walked, he pulled out a small piece of hard jerky, tearing into it.

"That fucking fight..." He grumbled as he walked, his memory once again falling back to that horrible day, almost five years ago now.

* * *

 _"Iron Shadow Dragon's ROAR!"_

 _"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"_

 _"Ice Demon's Spear!"_

 _The spells smashed into Acnologia's back, eliciting a howling roar of fury from the ancient beast. "You children DARE?!" The Dragon turned on his new attackers. "I will tear your souls to shreds!"_

 _"Your opponent is me Acnologia!" Zeref fired off a powerful blast of dark magic. "You should have no issue ignoring insects like th-"_

 _Natsu's flame coated fist smashed into the dark wizard's jaw. "I think you and me have some unfinished business you bastard!"_

 _"Little brother..." Zeref calmly stood, the burn on his chin already healing. "You cannot stop me Natsu. Leave now and I may spare you."_

 _"Not a chance in hell!"_

 _As Zeref sighed, preparing a spell to attack Natsu with, a sword erupted from his chest. Behind him, Erza let go of the blade, requipping another one and stabbing it into the back of his knee, before repeating the process several more times._

 _"Hmm..." Zeref said, so casually that it sent a chill down Erza's spine. "Well struck child. You have the right killer instinct, but not the power." He began to turn to eliminate the young woman, however Natsu lunged forward once again._

 _"That's just the set up!" He smirked, his frame crackling with electricity. "Lightning Fire King's Mighty Talon!" He lunged into a spinning series of strikes with his claw like hand, the fire igniting Zeref's skin, while the lightning rushed down the metal of the swords to assault his organs._

 _The ancient dark wizard howled in pain, slumping forward as his muscles burned. A few moments later, he pushed himself back up, and fixed Natsu with a withering glare. "My turn."_

 _Meanwhile, Grey, Juvia, Laxus and Gajeel continued to clash with the giant dragon._

 _"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel leaped onto the dragon's back, stabbing down as hard as he could, smashing the saw-like blade of his spell into Acnologia's scales. "Fuck this guy's solid!"_

 _Laxus jumped back and forth, dodging the dragon's snapping jaws. "No kidding." He shouted as he let loose another blast of lightning. "This guy's a monster among monsters."_

 _Grey continued creating more and more ice lances to hurl at the dragon, aiming for his wings, eyes and mouth. "Talk less, Slay more!" He shouted._

 _Juvia launched torrents of boiling water, aiming for Acnologia's eyes, while also occasionally creating brutal combo attacks with Grey. "They cannot help themselves Grey-sama. It is their nature."_

 _"Worthless insects!" Ancologia roared, "You truly believe that your paltry magic can defeat me?!" He suddenly lunged upwards into the sky. As he did however, he let loose a shriek of pain, as the sudden momentum actually forced Gajeel's sword through his scales._

 _"Alright!" Gajeel grinned in triumph, turning his other hand into another sword. "Let's redecorate you ugly bastard." Smashing the second sword into the gap, he began tearing the wound further open._

 _Acnologia roared, bucking and thrashing to dislodge the Dragon Slayer, but the iron studded man held fast. Seeing his ally lodged in the dragon's back, Laxus grinned wickedly. "This may hurt a bit Gajeel." He shouted. Electricity suddenly began crackling along his arms, "Lightning Dragon's Javelin!" He formed a lance of lightning in his hand, throwing it straight at the Iron Dragon Slayer._

 _"Laxus you asshole!" Gajeel had just enough time to shout before his iron plated form acted as a natural lightning rod, conducting the vicious attack down into the open wound on Acnologia's back eliciting a scream of pain from both victims. Turning back to the beast's back, Gajeel spat the taste of ozone from his mouth before grinning, "Although I suppose it did a fine job of tenderizing you a bit more." He said and inhaled deeply and activating his Iron Shadow Mode, "Iron Shadow Dragon's ROAR!"_

 _The attack was devastating, buckling Acnologia's back and shattering a wide swath of scales as Gajeel was finally thrown from his perch. Seeing an opening finally, Grey and Laxus struck simultaneously, while Juvia created a bubble to catch Gajeel._

 _A brutal spike of ice slammed down into the dragon's back, moments before a colossal lightning bolt hit the exact same spot. The force of the combination smashed the ancient dragon to the ground, the spike of ice impaled through him like some giant skewer._

 _"Im-impossible..." Acnologia coughed, blood spewing forth from his mouth. "This is how I die? Slain by children...?"_

 _Gajeel grinned, having been released from his watery rescue, "Shall we?" The others nodded. Lunging forward into a leap, his arm transformed into a brutal spike shrouded in darkness. Meanwhile, Juvia summoned a massive torrent of water to hammer into the dragon, setting him up for an empowered lightning bolt, followed by a powerful wave of ice that froze the dragon's limbs to the bones. "Iron Shadow Dragon's Slaying Spear!" Gajeel shouted, thrusting his spiked arm forward to impale the ancient beast through the heart._

* * *

A scream jolted Gajeel from his memories. Looking around, he realized that the sun had risen as he'd walked. The voice screamed again, drawing his gaze to a small broken down farmhouse in the distance. One of the house's walls had fallen away long ago, and sand had since poured in. It was through this hole in the building that the scream had come.

"Shit..." Gajeel sighed, turning towards the old ruin. "That sounded like a kid..."

* * *

Sarah screamed as loudly as she could, struggling to escape from the larger man who held her down. "Quit yer' squirmin' ya little bitch!" The man snarled, raising his hand to deliver a slap.

One of his partners caught the arm before it could strike. "Boss want's her back without a mark on her." He reminded him. "He want's the fun of breaking his new pet himself. You know that."

"Then get this damn kid to stop moving!" The first man said.

The second man's hideous face appeared in her vision, "Listen kid." He said, pulling out a knife, "We're not supposed to hurt ya' too bad. The Boss like's his new pets to still have a bit o' fight left in 'em. But," He grabbed her tightly by her long black hair, placing the blade to her mouth, "If you insist on keeping up this struggling, I will cut your fucking throat. Am I clear?"

Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she froze, terrified. Slowly she nodded.

"Good girl." He smiled cruelly. "Once we reach the Boss, by all means, fight and struggle and scream to your heart's content. It will make him happier than you could imagine."

"Wow..." A new voice suddenly sounded from behind her, causing the man with the knife to look up and past her. "So it takes two big strong men to handle a little girl these days eh?"

The man holding Sarah down shifted above her, obviously turning to look at the newcomer, "Fuck off stranger. This ain't any of your fucking business."

Strangely, the newcomer just laughed. "Maybe not. But something about seeing a couple of assholes like you forcing a little girl to the ground just pisses me off." The man with the knife scowled, "So I figured I'd go ahead and make it my business, see if you little shits could handle something a bit bigger than just a little girl."

The man with the knife rose up, "You must not like living that much stranger." He said, twirling his blade expertly, "You know who it is we work for?"

"Am I actually supposed to answer that seriously?" The mockery was evident in the stranger's voice. "We're out in the middle of the wastes, days from anywhere even remotely civilized, and you really just pulled out the most cliched line in fucking history on me?" He let loose a cold, mocking laugh. "Oh that's fucking rich."

"Son of a bitch!" The man on top of Sarah suddenly stood up, allowing the terrified teen to scurry to the far wall.

As she reached the wall, she looked back, finally getting a view of her supposed rescuer. His body was hidden by a long traveler's cloak, the hood pulled back to reveal a large mane of black hair. His features were sharp and clean shaven, and he seemed to have several iron studs set through his nose and along his eyebrows. Sarah briefly wondered how he could stand to keep the metal decorations when the world was now a burning desert.

The stranger was grinning as the bandits closed with him, "Aww, what? Did I hurt your head with my long sentences?" He chuckled viciously, "I need to thank you bastards. I haven't had a laugh like this in a long while."

The man who had been holding Sarah let out a roar as he lunged for the stranger, his partner flashing in with the knife. What happened next would haunt the poor girl until the day she died. The stranger's grin widened as he almost casually stepped past the larger man's lunge, grabbing the blade of the knife in his teeth and then proceeding to eat it.

The bandits stared dumbstruck as the man finished the disturbing meal, "Blech." He spat after swallowing the remains of the blade, "The fuck did you forge that in? Fucking bleach or something? That tasted horrible!" Suddenly his hand snapped out, moving faster than the eye could larger man's throat then burst open in a spray of arterial blood.

The bandit fell to the ground, dead before he even hit. His partner suddenly let out a very shrill scream, "Monster!" He threw himself past the stranger, running as fast as his legs would carry him away from the strange, metal eating man. "It's a fucking monster!" His voice echoed back as he disappeared over a dune.

"Tch. Pansy-assed little shit." The stranger muttered, watching the bandit run. Then he turned back towards Sarah, and she felt her fear return twofold. "You alright kid?" He asked softly.

She managed to nod slowly, clearly terrified of the man. "Y-yes..." She managed to choke out.

"That's good." His features suddenly softened, as a smile spread across his face. He stepped forward, pulling out a canteen and offering it to her, "Here, you look like you haven't had so much as a sip in a few days."

The girl licked her lips, suddenly very much aware of how thirsty she actually was. Creeping forward, she snatched the canteen from his hand before backing once more to the wall, drinking deeply.

"Easy there," He chuckled, dropping down into a squatting crouch, watching her with an almost brotherly smile. "There's no rush, you're safe." She paused, considering him for a few moments before taking another sip of water, more slowly this time. "You wanna tell me why those clowns were trying to tie you up?" He gestured to the dead man behind him.

She stopped drinking for a few moments, wondering if she could really trust this strange man. Finally she spoke, "It's because I'm a mage." The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting the admission. "Their 'Boss' likes to collect mages and keep them like pets. He tortures them, keeps them from using magic with these collars," She gestured to an iron studded collar fastened tightly around her neck. "It blocks out our magic."

"Sound's like a real charmer." The man said, disgust obvious on his face. "What kind of mage are you?"

"Kind?" Her head tilted to the side, confused. "What do you mean 'what kind'?"

He blinked for a moment, "I mean what type of magic do you use? Fire magic? Ice Magic? Item magic?" He paused, seeing her confusion deepen, he sighed. "Just how old are you kid?"

"Fifteen..." She seemed almost embarrassed to say.

"Fifteen huh... Alright, tell you what kid, I'm going to take off that collar of yours, cause it's pissing me off. And I'm curious about your magic." As he spoke, his hand suddenly transformed, becoming a large sword, "Don't move."

She froze, not even daring to breathe as his arm flickered faster than her eye could follow, slicing through the tough leather around her neck. As the collar fell away, she felt her senses awaken as her magic power flooded outwards. The sand around her seemed to swirl like water as she inhaled deeply.

"Huh," The man watched the sand curiously. "Is that Sand magic? You can control sand?"

Finally realizing what he had been asking, she nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not very good at it. I was never allowed to practice because of how people treat mages. My parents wouldn't let me use my powers because they didn't want people to see them as mage sympathizers..." Her gaze dropped and she hugged her knees tightly. "The thing is, somebody from the settlement found out somehow, and Gazfal's thugs came and attacked us. They killed my dad," Her eyes began tearing up again. "I don't know where my mom is... And they were going to bring me to Gazfal..."

Now it was the stranger's turn to look confused, "Who the fuck is Gazfal?"

She shivered, "Gazfal Stills. He basically owns this part of the desert. They say he's one of the most influential men for over a thousand miles."

"Wait, Stills? As in Stillswell?" She nodded, "Fuck. That's just great." He let loose a string of violent curses that made her blush slightly in surprise, "Sorry." He finally said after regaining his composure, "It's just that I had some business in Stillswell, and this is just gonna make that business damn near fucking impossible."

"I'm sorry." She lowered her head.

"Ah, don't be. It isn't your fault. I just shoulda killed them both is all." He sighed heavily. "I'm Gajeel, by the way."

"Sarah."

He smiled lightly, "Nice to meet you Sarah. Well, I'm in a bit of a bind here. I need to go to Stillswell, to look for something, but I'm fairly certain that if I left a fifteen year old girl alone out here in the wastes, I'd have a very special seat in hell reserved just for me." He tapped his chin lightly in thought, "So, what do you think I should do?"

As he sat there thinking, something clicked within Sarah's brain. "Wait a minute..." She said, "Gajeel... You're _Gajeel Redfox_?! You're one of the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers!" Her expression brightened as memories from her childhood came back to her, "I remember my parents talking about you guys when I was a kid! And I saw you and Natsu Dragneel fight against The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth during the Great Magic Games! That was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life!"

Gajeel blinked in surprise as the young girl practically dove to his feet, her eyes suddenly shining brightly at having met one of her childhood icons, before his own expression softened once again, "That was a long time ago kid. I'm not that great."

"No way! You guys were the coolest mage guild in the world!" Her eyes gleamed with excitement, "I always dreamed about joining Fairy Tail as a kid..."

The air seemed to rush from the man's lungs as though he'd been punched, and a sad expression took over his features. "Be glad you didn't kid." She blinked in surprise at his statement, "You'd probably be dead right now. Not to mention, you'd be even more hated than a normal mage these days."

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

He sighed, "Because we're the one's who killed the world."

* * *

 _The Fairy Tail mages breathed heavily, blood dripping from dozens of wounds on each of them. Zeref stood before them, his injuries once again healing before their eyes, while Acnologia's broken corpse lay behind them. "I must admit," Zeref said, a small, sad smile crossing his face, "Mavis really does have the most incredible Guild defending her. If only you had all agreed to be my subjects..."_

 _"Fuck you." Laxus snarled, struggling to stay standing, his arm draped over Erza's shoulder as the two supported each other._

 _"Eloquent." The dark wizard said with a smirk, "Truly you are the height of wit."_

 _"He's got a point though Zeref." Natsu said, spitting blood. "You really can just fuck off to hell. Let the world have a fucking break from your bullshit already..." With that, he lunged at his older brother, flames once more igniting along his arms._

 _"Natsu..." Zeref sighed, catching the exhausted Dragon Slayer's attack and throwing him backwards. "Let us end this, shall we my little Fairies?" He lifted his arms above his head, summoning a massive orb of dark magic to his hands._

 _Gajeel felt a jolt of fear shoot up his spine, "Shit... that thing's just gonna keep getting bigger isn't it?" The sheer amount of magical power arrayed before him left him stunned._

 _"More than likely..." Grey panted, holding a barely conscious Juvia in his arms. "We may not survive this..."_

 _Erza Requipped a new suit of armor, "We need to try. We're Fairy Tail, we don't give up until after we're dead."_

 _"Well put!" A new, unexpected voice rang out across the destroyed Magnolia town. Even Zeref seemed surprised to hear it, as the magical power pouring forth from him seemed to pause for a few moments. The Fairy Tail wizards all turned to see Makarov standing atop the ruins of what had been their guild building, a large blue crystal floating behind him._

 _"Oh?" Zeref smirked, "Has Mavis finally seen reason and decided to surrender herself to me?"_

 _Several small orbs of light appeared in the air between the six mages and Zeref, before they coalesced into the form of a young woman. "Didn't you hear what Erza said Zeref?" Mavis said, her expression sad as she faced the man she had loved, "Fairy Tail never gives up."_

 _Zeref smiled softly, "Mavis... It's good to see you."_

 _"I wish that I could say the same..." Tears appeared in her eyes, "But I am going to kill you for the destruction that you have brought to my home."_

 _"Oh?" His smile widened, "Is that a fact?"_

 _"It is."_

 _With that, the form of the First Master vanished, and the crystal behind Makarov began to glow. "Everyone!" The old man shouted, "You have done well, now it's time for one last push." Spell Circles appeared at his hands, "Fairy Heart, activated!"_

 _The six mages suddenly felt rejuvenated as the powerful magic flowed through them. Zeref watched as their wounds began to heal, "Hmm. So this is the infinite magic of Fairy Heart... incredible."_

 _The others all prepared to strike, as Makarov also prepared one final spell. "Dark Wizard Zeref, In accordance with the Fairy Tribunal, you have been deemed an enemy of Fairy Tail beyond redemption. As such, you will be eliminated without mercy." His eyes glowed brightly as he spoke. "Fairy Law!"_

 _As the old man activated his most powerful spell, the six younger mages all charged, unleashing their strongest attacks upon the immortal. Zeref's smile widened as he realized the sheer magnitude of force that Mavis's guild had arrayed against him in this final moment, "So... death comes for me at last eh?" He said quietly, suddenly condensing the magic power he'd been generating down into a small orb. "Thank you Mavis... But you are too late."_

 _Eight spells struck simultaneously. Seven annihilated the Dark Wizard where he stood, while the eighth hit the ground at his feet, and the apocalypse began._

* * *

 **Chapter 2, we start to learn a little bit about just why the world is as royally fucked as it is.** **Also, holy crap writing Gajeel for this can be a little depressing.**


	3. Chapter 3

Gajeel sat, chewing a piece of scrap iron as he thought, gazing across the small fire at his unusual travelling companion's sleeping form. Sarah had all but begged him to take her with him, stating that she'd be much safer with him than anywhere else.

"Tch... weird kid." He grumbled quietly to himself, lying back and gazing up at the stars, "Who the hell would want to hang around a useless guy like me?"

"But you aren't useless Gajeel-san." The girl's voice startled him, causing him to sit bolt upright. Sarah still lay in the same spot, but her eyes were open, and a small smile rested on her lips. "You saved my life." She said, shifting to look at him, "That alone is enough for me. But you also saved the whole world from Zeref, even if you don't want to admit it."

The former Fairy Tail member stared back at her for a few moments, before slumping backwards. "Yeah," He chuckled humorlessly, "We _really_ saved the world. By turning it into a desolate wasteland and killing off at least four million people in Fiore alone. Tch. Some heroes..."

Sarah was silent for a few moments, then she sat up, crossing her legs, "Gajeel-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Why exactly did you rescue me?"

Gajeel sat up, looking across the flames, "What do you mean?"

"Well... it's just that... most of the people I've met usually look out for themselves. I used to live in Elbawell, and there were a lot of people there, nobody ever really bothered to help the people in need." Her gaze dropped down to the flickering firelight, "A man once told me that this world has no more place for the weak..." She sounded so sad as she spoke, "He said that those who need help were nothing more than parasites leeching off the strong. And that-" Her remenising was suddenly cut short as Gajeel's fist pounded down onto the top of her head. "OUCH! What was that for!?"

The Iron Dragon Slayer had moved around the fire and was now seated next to her. He looked down at her, his gaze reminding her of a beast. "I did that because you were annoying me. Listen kid, I don't know what retard told you that load of bull, but here's the thing. I've been around for a while now. I spent a very long time in a _really_ dark place. The kinda place that would probably make life as Gazfal Stills's pet seem almost preferable." The teen gulped at the thought, "It was a mages guild called Phantom Lord. Let's just say that at one point in my life, I used to believe along those same lines. I used to think that the weak only existed to be food for the strong, and that by being the strongest, I could do whatever the hell I wanted. And I used that mentality to do some really terrible things. You wanna know how that went?" She nodded silently. Gajeel smiled fondly, leaning back and once again gazing up at the stars, "I got the shit kicked out of me. By this skinny little punk from a guild full of weaklings and pansies. And then... even after I had done things to them that should never have been forgiven..." His smile disappeared, replaced by the single most pained expression Sarah had ever seen, "That guild of weaklings and pansies embraced me as family... They gave me an actual home...A place so full of life and light and laughter that I honestly thought that I had died and gone to heaven."

Sarah's eyes were practically glittering as she listened to his story. "Wow..." She said quietly.

"And do you want to know what it was that made that place so special?" He smiled once more, turning to look at her, "It wasn't because everyone in the guild was the strongest, or the best, or anything like that. It was because they were all free to be who they wanted to be. If they were weak, then the stronger ones were always there to support them. If they were strong, then they never made others feel inferior to them. Except for Laxus... Laxus was a bit of a dick." He chuckled fondly. "But even that dick was a member of the family, and we always managed to get back at him in the end." He sighed, "I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are always people in this world who will try to keep that kind of freedom alive. They may be a bit less prevalent these days... but they're out there."

"I guess you're right." She smiled, "But you didn't answer my question."

He grumbled something under his breath, blushing slightly, "Honestly? It's cause you remind me a lot of Wendy."

"Wendy?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "The Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell. Cute kid with a will and a spine of solid fucking steel." He grinned, "You look a lot like her. Especially when you smile." Sarah's face brightened considerably at that, "Now, get some sleep kid. It's been a long ass day. And we've still got a long way to go before we reach Stillswell.

Sarah lay back once more, closing her eyes. For a while, Gajeel simply sat, watching the teen. Then he moved back to his former spot, lay down, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Two days later, a pair of weary, thirsty travelers arrived in the surprisingly large settlement of Stillswell. The settlement had sprung up early after the wastes had claimed the kingdom, Gazfal Stills having found that the lake that had once dominated the region was intact still there, deep beneath the sands. News of a large water supply always brought an impressive number of people, and soon enough the town numbered in the mid hundreds.

They immediately made their way towards a small tavern off the main road of the town. As they walked, Gajeel was speaking quietly to his young companion, "Now remember; You look like a normal human. They have no real way of knowing if you're a mage or not without either being a mage themselves, seeing you use your magic, or _maybe_ if there're still any Magic Power sensors around. So just relax, we're just a couple of travelers, in from a hard trek on the ro-"

The Iron Dragon Slayer stopped dead, his eyes widening in shock as the wind shifted. He looked almost terrified, but at the same time, Sarah could see a hint of excitement in his eyes, "G-Gajeel-san? A-are you alright?" She asked nervously, glancing around trying to spot what could have elicited such a reaction from the man.

"There's no way..." His voice was barely a whisper, as if he was afraid that he were dreaming and speaking too loudly would awaken him. "It can't be... but this scent..."

"Scent...?" Sarah sniffed the air, but smelled nothing. "Gajeel-san, what are you... Gajeel-san?!"

He suddenly surged forward, his thirst, his hunger, and his weariness completely forgotten. Every inch of his skin felt as though an electric current was flowing over it, as he sweeped through the town towards his destination. Sarah briefly caught a glimpse of his eyes as they moved, they were desperate, almost pleading for something. Finally, after a few minutes, the two came to a small shack of a house, run down, and well away from the center of town. Gajeel stood before the door, his hand hovering over the door handle, fear and hesitation keeping him from actually testing it. "Please..." Sarah blinked, shocked by the softness and the desperation in the man's voice, "Please... let me be right..." He gulped, hand moving up to knock gently against the door.

Nobody answered, the seconds dragged out, agonizingly long. Gajeel's shoulders seemed to slump, and he was about to turn away when a soft noise reached their ears. To Sarah, it was barely audible, a small, tiny, muffled sob. Gajeel's ears perked at the noise, and he immediately tried the door. It pushed open, barely a creak eliciting from the hinges. Inside, the small house was dark, unlit, and a complete mess. A single young figure stood in the middle of the room, a small broom in her hands, her back turned to the door, and her shoulders shaking with small sobs as she cried.

Sarah's eyes adjusted to the gloom, and she quickly realized that the home wasn't a mess, it had been destroyed. Shelves had been knocked over, the single small dining table had been smashed, and possessions of whoever it was that lived here were strewn everywhere. Even to her untrained eye, it was painfully clear that there had been a violent struggle.

Gajeel meanwhile was frozen in place, staring at the young girl. He looked as though he were seeing a ghost. The girl simply ignored them, not having heard their entrance as she continued to cry.

Glancing between the girl and Gajeel, Sarah finally wet her lips and spoke softly. "E-excuse us?" The girl's reaction was instantaneous. She shrieked in terror, turning and brandishing a gun from a small holster at her hip, firing off three shots before Sarah had even comprehended the motion.

The only thing that saved her life was the reaction speed of her companion, who's own stupor had been broken by her words. Gajeel threw himself between the two girls, his arms turning to steel and raising to cover himself just as the bullets hit. There was silence for several aggonizing seconds, broken only by the young girl's terrified, gasps.

Finally Gajeel's voice rumbled forth. "Now I'm positive." Sarah blinked, and the girl's breath caught in her throat. "I knew I recognized this scent," His voice was soft, and kind, as he lowered his arms, and slowly moved to kneel in front of the girl, who now had the same shocked expression he had worn moments before. "You're Asuka, aren't you? Bisca and Alzack's daughter." His hand came to rest on the gun, pushing it gently down. "Man, but you've grown since I last saw you..."

The girl's eyes continued to widen, as her mouth tried to once again find her voice. Then suddenly, she threw the gun aside, and hurled herself at Gajeel, knocking him over in a desperate hug. "GAJEEL-NI-SAN!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to the large man.

"Hey kid." He said with the softest smile that Sarah had ever seen on any human being. "Long time no see." He slowly picked himself up off the ground, careful not to dislodge the crying girl. Turning to his travelling companion, he smiled, "Sarah, this is Asuka. She's..." He choked as tears of his own began to fall, "She and her parents are members of Fairy Tail."

* * *

An hour later, the three of them sat quietly in Asuka's home. Sarah and Gajeel had helped to clean it somewhat, but now, the Dragon Slayer decided that he needed answers. "Where are your parents Asuka?" He asked the nine year old child who now sat in Sarah's lap. "You can't have been living alone. Where are Bisca and Alzack?"

Asuka's expression fell as her sadness from earlier returned. "The mayor's men came." She said quietly. Sarah's eyes widened, knowing what that would have meant. "Mommy told me to hide in my secret spot, and that she and daddy would make them go away. I heard a lot of shouting, and a lot of loud bangs, and mommy's gun a few times. And then it got really quiet. When I finally came out, our home was a really big mess, and mommy and daddy were gone."

"Oh you poor dear." Sarah hugged the young girl tightly, her own expression pained.

Gajeel's face meanwhile was oddly blank. "When was this?" He asked quietly.

"Y-yesterday..."

"I see." He rose silently, moving out of the house before Sarah could follow.

"Gajeel-san?" Sarah picked herself up, noticing Asuka's fearful expression as she hurried after the man. "Gajeel-san!"

He stood outside, eyes facing towards the center of the town. "Don't get close to me." His voice was so low that she almost didn't hear it, but the edge in it forced her a few steps back. Then she saw his eyes, and she felt the color drain from her face. "So... Gazfal Stills likes to play with mages..." Small drops of blood fell to the sand as his fists clenched so tightly that his claw-like nails actually pierced his palms. "Ok then. Fine."

Sarah gulped, forcing her voice to work once again, "W-w-what are you going to d-do...?" Her knees trembled as his gaze turned and fell on her. She suddenly felt as though she were staring into the open maw of a full sized dragon.

"I'm going to show Stills, and the rest of this fucking town why you do not piss off a Dragon Slayer."

* * *

Gazfal Stills chuckled contentedly, taking a long drag on the cigar he smoked. "You know... I know I shouldn't smoke this." He said smugly to the woman kneeling bloodied, her hands bound tightly behind her back, on the floor in front of him. "I mean, there can't be too many of them left in the world now eh? But..." He tapped the ashes down into the ashtray and set the cigar down, moving forward and delivering a brutal kick to her stomach and grabbing her by the hair, "Finding a mage as fiery and willful as you is always fun. And finding a _Fairy Tail_ Mage? I get the feeling that you don't realize just how much money you are worth to the right buyer, do ya?" He laughed again, throwing the mage aside and reclaiming his cigar. "So I believe that today is worth celebrating a little bit."

"F-fuck you..." Bizka Connell snarled, maneuvering back up to her knees, and trying to push herself to stand. "You are a sick fucking monster Stills."

"Oh spare me your self righteous crap Fairy." Said Stills, delivering another kick to her stomach. "As if you and your Guild have any moral high-ground. Because of you, this world is a fucking dust bowl." He leered down at her, exhaling a deep lung-full of smoke into her face, "So, who's the real monster here?"

He was about to deliver a heavy slap, when a knock at the door of the room interrupted him. "I thought I said that I did not want to be disturbed." He snarled as the door opened, revealing a small mouse like man wearing the garb of a butler. "This had better be fucking good."

"My deepest apologies master Gazfal." The butler said, bowing low. "But there is a traveler calling at the gate. He claims to have information on the location of one of the Fairy Tail Dragons."

Bisca's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror from where she lay on the floor. She began to struggle violently, trying to somehow shake her bonds loose. Gazfal's glare shifted quickly into a wide, sadistic grin, "You see my dear?" He laughed, taking another deep drag of the cigar, "A good day indeed! Show him in, I'll meet him at the main hall."

The butler bowed low once more, backing out of the room. Stills made his way to the table at the back of the room, claiming the pristine white waistcoat that lay on it. "Not often we get such an important guest..." He spoke as he fussed with the coat and a small black bow-tie, though whether it was to her, or himself, Bisca couldn't tell. "Got to look our best." Turning back to face the mage, he struck a small pose. "What do you think? Good?" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the still burning cigar in one hand, and Bisca's hair once more in the other. "Well, come along. Mustn't keep our guest waiting." He said cheerily, dragging the mage out of the room violently.

* * *

The traveler stood in the large main hall of Stills' mansion, hood still pulled over his face, and looked around, making note of a small throne-like chair set up at the end of the chamber. There were a few guards stationed around the room, each eyeing the stranger with a mixture of mild disinterest and mistrust.

The silence continued to stretch as they all awaited the arival of Gazfal Stills. After a minute, the stranger pulled something small from a pouch at his belt, the motion causing the guards to reach for their weaponry. However the stranger simply brought whatever it was to his mouth and began to chew. The guards relaxed slightly as the nature of the snack was revealed, but snapped to attention a moment later, as the large doorway to the rest of the house opened, revealing Gazfal Stills in a white suit and waistcoat. Behind him he dragged a struggling woman by the hair, she srieked in pain and fury at him as she tried to escape his grip.

"Yeah, yeah." Stills drawlled, dragging the woman across the room to the throne and throwing her to the floor at it's feet. "My apologies for the extended wait stranger." He turned to his guest, every bit the gracious host. "My name is Gazfal Stills." He bowed slightly before slumping into the throne and propping his feet onto Bisca's hunched over form. "Now then, my man tells me you have some juicy information I've been looking for eh?"

"Yeah." A deep voice growled out of the shadowed hood of the traveler, "I happen to know exactly where you can find Gajeel Redfox." From her place on the floor, Bisca felt her eyes widen in shock. The stranger began pacing across the length of the hall, but otherwise said nothing more.

After several seconds Stills growled. "Are you gonna keep me in suspense all day? Or maybe you want me to have it beaten out of you."

The cloaked figure stopped moving a few paces from a pair of guards. "Tch, nah." Suddenly, there was a green flash, and the heads of both guards landed ten feet away. "No need." Gajeel snarled, his hood falling away and his hands replaced by wicked serrated swords, "I'll be doing the beatings today."

Before anyone in the room could react, the Iron Dragon Slayer lunged into the air, hurling himself at another small clump of guards, "IRON DRAGON'S SPEAR!" He roared, smashing the blunted end of an iron polearm into the first guard's face, before landing, shifting his hands back to swords and spinning in a blurred arc, swiftly eviscerating the remaining three guards. He then turned towards the last set of guards charging him from the far side of the room, "IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!"

Gazfal Stills sat petrified in horror at the carnage that had just unleashed itself on the chamber before him. Nearly a dozen of the best equipped murderers in a hundred miles, and all of them dead in the span of a few seconds. And the... beast... that had murdered them now stalked towards him, blood dripping from his suddenly human fingers.

"I hear you like to toy with mages." Gajeel growled, his eyes seeming to glow. "Let's find out what you're really made of." He stooped, picking up a pair of swords from the fallen guards and taking a massive bite out of one. The other he hurled with enough force to bury it's tip into the seat beside Gazfal's head.

The mayor of Stillswell let out a terrified squeal, pushing Bisca towards the oncoming Dragon Slayer and running towards the door. He had almost made it when something flashed passed his vision, and Gajeel appeared in front of him. The Dragon Slayer's hand closed around his throat, and hauled him physically off the ground. "Hi there Mr Mayor. My name's Gajeel, from the Mages Guild Fairy Tail. I'm here to pick up a couple of my friends, hope you don't mind."

Gazfal let loose a shriek of horror, his eyes rolling back into his head as his mind simply shut down. Gajeel shook him for a few moments, but when it became clear that the Mayor would not reawaken for some time, he snorted derisively, dropping him unceremoniously in a heap. "Fucking pansy."

"G-Gajeel-san?" The Dragon Slayer's eyes flicked up to the green haired woman rising unsteadily from where she had landed, "Is that really you?"

"You look like shit Bisca." He said, crossing the space between them and shifting his hand into a blade. When he reached her, he reached around her and cut the bonds holding her arms. "How have you been?"

"Holy shit..." Was all the gun-mage could bring herself to say, pulling her old friend into a tight hug. "You're really here..." She finally said after several moments, breaking the embrace and looking up at the large man. "But... why?"

"Had some business with that sack of shit anyways." He snorted, nodding back towards Stills, "But I ran into your daughter." Bisca's eyes widened even further, and tears began forming. "She told me what happened to you and Alzack, so I decided to come and pay my respects a bit sooner than I originally planned."

"Asuka's alright?" Bisca asked between sobs. At Gajeel's nod, she suddenly felt the strength leave her limbs. "Thank god..." For a minute, the two simply stayed there, Bisca colapsed and letting her emotions finally surge forth after the past day of torture, and Gajeel, after a moment, kneeling beside her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

After a while, Bisca took a deep breath, and pushed herself up to stand once more. "Ok. Then we need to find Alzack. I'm not leaving this compound without him."

Gajeel rose as well, licking his lips with a wide grin. "I would have been extremely dissapointed in you if you had said otherwise." He cracked his knuckles, turning towards the door that Stills had tried to escape through. "Besides, we're Fairy Tail. We haven't caused nearly enough of a mess to live up to our reputation."

* * *

Asuka stood outside her family's home, wringing her hands worriedly, her gaze cast towards the center of town. "I remember mommy telling stories about times when Gajeel ni-san would look like that." She said, fear in her voice. "She never told me what actually happened... but she told me about what it was like afterwards."

"And what was that?" Asked Sarah from the doorway, also watching towards Gazfal Stills' mansion.

As the child opened her mouth to speak once again, a massive explosion ripped it's way out of one of the wings of the Mayor's home, rocking the entire town. Sarah moved faster than she ever thought possible, rushing to Asuka and throwing her cloak over the both of them for cover. After a few moments, the world was quiet once again, though Sarah could hear the sound of men and women rushing towards the mansion.

Asuka's eyes glittered in the shade of the cloak, a wide grin suddenly spreading across her face. "Mommy said that he was the only one who could ever give Natsu ni-san a good run for his money."

* * *

 **I know, I know. It's been _way_ too long since I last updated. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever get around to it as well. For that, I once more apologize, and hope that you all enjoy this latest chapter of Black Steel. **

**The final chapter of Fairy Tail just came out recently, and it prompted me to get this finished and released, (mostly because the final chapter of Fairy Tail sucked.) So, here it is, and once more, I'm sorry for how long it always is in between chapters.**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews, like it, dislike it. Hit me with it all. And as always, see you next time.**


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